Ecopraxis and the earthing of religion
Ecopraxis and the earthing of religion
The world’s religions are rich in resources for envisioning and working towards another world, one free of oppression, dispossession, and ecological abuse, and characterised instead by dignity, mutuality and flourishing within ecological limits. The Christian tradition, for example, has had much to say concerning the beauty and value of the Earth and its creatures, land tenure, justice for the marginalised, the lending of money, and the role of material possessions in life. However, it is also true that many expressions of religion, both past and present, have become disembodied from the Earth, and instead preoccupied with otherworldly concerns, fostering a disregard for and/or an exploitative orientation toward this world and (many) of its inhabitants. Ecopraxis and the earthing of religion is about the “coming back to earth” of religious reflection, and its embodiment through lived experience or “ecopraxis”. As such, it is concerned particularly with communities of faith, grounded in their tradition, who are working for alternatives in their local context – for example, in the sharing of possessions, alternative food practices, and local exchange trading schemes.
The two founders of this stream of Eco Pax Mundi’s work are Christians. However, contributions from other perspectives are also most welcome, and indeed, are warmly invited.
